The most terrible monster. The most terrible monsters in the history of world cinema. The long-horned sabertooth is the most terrifying monster of the deep sea

Horror films are inextricably linked with monsters. The horror genre in cinema began with Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, the mummy and the werewolf. Over time, they were replaced by Freddy Krueger, Alien and Jason. But the world does not stand still. Humanity is changing, and with it, its fears are changing. Now it’s the 21st century - so what is the modern public afraid of? We bring to your attention the ten most terrible monsters of our days.

Human fear has evolutionary origins. He helped our ancestors survive in prehistoric times. An unexpected encounter with a fanged tiger in the forest is enough reason to sprint over a kilometer distance, and a crocodile swimming in a pond is the perfect hint that you need to find another place for swimming.

At first glance, the images of fictional monsters are composed of the same signals warning of danger: large size, unnatural behavior, strength and aggressiveness. But meeting a predator in the forest and in a zoo are completely different things. The monster on the screen always appears at a safe distance. The distance between him and the viewer is paradoxical: what in its pure form embodies our fear and should instinctively put us to flight turns out to be helpless, unable to escape from the screen.

Our fear is aestheticized; monsters not only do not frighten us - they attract us, we admire them. They stand at the junction of two worlds: ours, sorted into shelves, lived-in and understandable, and another, which we only vaguely guess about, not having the strength to look into it.

Clickers
The Last of Us game (2013)

The creators of The Last of Us provided their zombie apocalypse with a scientific foundation, albeit not a very solid one. Cordyceps unilateral fungus, which causes all the horrors in the game, really exists. True, in nature it only infects small insects like ants, after which they begin to follow the orders of the fungus, spreading spores.

According to the plot, a mutated cordyceps is capable of turning a person into a puppet. Clickers are people in the third stage of infection with the fungus. Although it is already difficult to call these creatures people. The fungus infects the victim's brain and takes control of it. The skin of the infected is completely disfigured, and there is no hint of humanity left in their aggressive behavior. Now they are soulless monsters, capable only of killing.

Clickers have no vision at all. They navigate their environment using echolocation. The use of this ability can be recognized by the characteristic sounds that give the monsters their name. In battle, clickers are much stronger than ordinary opponents, so it is recommended to avoid them and kill them on the sly. Their unique ability also turns out to be a weakness - clickers can be easily deceived by creating artificial noise. The echolocation of creatures works within a radius of three meters, so it’s not difficult to get around them unnoticed.

Clickers, like Alien (partly inspired by wasp wasps), are monsters based on real natural phenomena, both horrific and natural. But still, basically they are all the same zombies, so they only deserved tenth place.

Nemesis
Resident Evil (1999–2004)

In Greek mythology, Nemesis (Nemesis) was the goddess of retribution and justice. But don't look for any semantic analogy between it and the most famous monster from the Resident Evil series of games. It's just that corporations like Umbrella, which create bacteriological weapons, like to call their brainchildren beautiful names.

Nemesis is depicted as a large, somewhat clumsy, tightly built monster, who always has a large gun in his arsenal - a minigun or grenade launcher. However, this is not the creature’s only weapon. Before each new battle with the player, the monster acquires a fresh set of “organic” weapons such as claws and tentacles. It has the ability to regenerate and can mutate very quickly, taking on new forms. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to destroy the monster.

However, in the film “Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse” the image of a soulless, inexorably cruel creature was spoiled. At the end of the picture, human traits awaken in Nemesis, and pity and mercy peek through the rage and cruelty.

Film series of the same name (2009–2015)

The human centipede stands out among the rest of our top. It evokes not so much fear as a feeling of disgust. The centipede was created by a mad doctor by sewing together the mouths and anuses of several people, and this disgusting creature is capable of awakening the gag reflex of even the most resistant viewers. As well as a feeling of pity - one can only sympathize with the victims of a sadistic experiment. The centipede is a monster and a victim in one, and there is no contradiction in this.

The centipede causes real horror, but not because of its danger, like other monsters. Fear appears when the viewer tries to comprehend the phenomenon of the centipede, to understand what its elusive attractiveness is. It’s embarrassing to admit this even to yourself, but there is something about the monster that attracts and holds your gaze. It’s not he himself that frightens, but our indecent curiosity and desire to look at such disgusting things. Everyone you ask criticizes the film and scolds its creators, but somehow the film series continues to bring in the box office and has already acquired a third part.

Psychoanalysis often tells us what we least want to hear. The Human Centipede is a monster that brings out the monster in all of us.

Doctor Who series

What have you done, Schrödinger's cat! The assertion of physicists that the presence of an observer influences quantum processes could not fail to find a response in popular culture. And even more so in such an intelligent series as Doctor Who.

Weeping angels are monsters that are dangerous when you can't see them. If anyone looks at them, they turn to stone. But that is precisely why no one can figure out their true essence - in appearance they seem to be just stone statues. When there is no observer nearby, the monsters come to life. However, if several angels look at each other or one of them sees his reflection in the mirror, the stone “shield” will turn into an eternal trap for them.

In addition to quantum tricks, angels have many mysterious abilities. They can kill a victim with one kiss, turn a person into dust or send him into the past. The last option is of “gastronomic” interest for the angels - when the victim jumps in time, a special energy is released, which they feed on.

Doctor Who's angels are graceful, unusual and beautiful killers. Perhaps even too beautiful to climb to a higher place in our top.

Movie "Monstro" (2008)

The image of a giant monster rampaging through a metropolis is not new and even textbook. King Kong and Godzilla are unlikely to scare anyone today. Yes, they are infinitely strong and unstoppable in their rage. They can crush people like ants and sweep away skyscrapers with an accidental wave of their paws. But they have a significant drawback: we know everything about them. They have been studied, tamed, and can even be classified biologically. They are not mysterious, and therefore predictable and not frightening.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, “only the unknown scares.” Its embodiment is Clover - a chthonic beast, an irrational element, a force that cannot be comprehended, marching under the banner of blind rage. We know nothing about the creature: neither its origin, nor its internal structure, nor why the monster came up with the idea of ​​causing an apocalypse on the streets of New York. Bullets for Clover are dust, explosions of rockets and bombs are light concussions. The monster is completely invulnerable, and the only salvation for city residents is the subway tunnels. But even there there is no complete safety: small creatures drop out of the monster’s body, capable of reaching the most protected places.

Clover is a horror that is beyond human strength. The authorities' decision to raze the entire city to the ground in order to get rid of the monster is akin to a hysterical scream, indicating a complete inability to cope with the situation.

Films in the Jeepers Creepers series (2001–2016)

The mythology of the Jeepers Creepers series is quite naive and goes back to the ideas of primitive cannibals, according to which whoever eats a person’s flesh gains his energy. Every twenty-third spring, the demon goes hunting to profit from human flesh and gain strength. And the limbs of the victims he absorbs replace his own. It sounds far-fetched and fabulous, but when you come across the monster’s regenerative abilities in practice, it becomes creepy.

Outwardly, he somewhat resembles Freddy Krueger: a disfigured face, an insidious smile, rags and a stylish hat create the image of a kind of demon in a cowboy outfit. The creeper cannot be destroyed: it easily replaces any damaged part of the body with a new one, devouring the necessary organ of the victim. Superhuman strength, razor-sharp teeth and an absolute sense of smell make the fatal outcome of any encounter with a monster almost inevitable. However, there is a small chance of escape. The appearance of Creepers is preceded by the song Jeepers Creepers. If you ever hear it, you better just run.

Creepers is a little old-fashioned monster, but not outdated at all. It proves that some tried-and-true horror movie tricks still work today.

Dead Space games (2008-2013)

It's hard to exaggerate the importance of Alien for space horror films. What was remarkable about this film was not only the image of the monster itself, but also its well-thought-out biology. Ridley Scott's xenomorphs use human bodies to breed their offspring in them.

There are quite a few types of necromorphs, but they all have something in common: uncontrollable aggression towards all living things. And this is understandable, because they can only exist thanks to dead organic matter. Before us is a rare case: “living carrion”, completely different from zombies. Dead Space destroys our associations, and therefore the necromorphs reek of something illogical, unnatural and unbearably terrible.

Film "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006)

Guillermo Del Toro is one of the best monster creators in cinema. Even the occasional monsters from his paintings are unforgettable. And his best creation is a monster with eyes on his palms. On the Internet, many people call him “Rukoglaz”, but in the script he is called the Pale Man.

The image of the Pale is inspired by two mythical creatures. Firstly, Del Toro was impressed by Goya’s painting “Saturn Devouring His Son” - from it the monster got the habit of eating little fairies alive. Secondly, the director was influenced by the Japanese myth about Tenoma, a blind man killed by robbers. After death, the spirit of the unfortunate man acquired two eyes on his palms and boundless hatred for his killer. However, he did not know what the criminal looked like, and therefore punished everyone.

So in “Pan’s Labyrinth” the Pale Man personifies punishment for disobedience and weakness of will. While the girl Ophelia does not touch the delicious dishes, the Pale One sits motionless. But as soon as the girl gives up and tries a juicy grape, the monster comes to life, puts its eyes into its palms and begins to pursue Ophelia.

The film has many interpretations. According to one of them, the Pale is just one of the images of the Faun, who frightens the heroine for fun, which is why the eaten fairies are alive in the finale. According to another version, in general, all “magical” events take place in Ophelia’s imagination. However, this does not make the monster any less scary. Just because something happens only in your head doesn't make it any less meaningful. If you die in the Matrix, you die in the real world.

Thin Man
Internet folklore, films based on

The Thin Man, coined on the Something Awful forum, is the unknown personified. However, unlike the same Clover, the human “framework” is clearly expressed in him. The scariest monsters always resemble people. The absence of humanity in a person causes misunderstanding, a feeling of unnaturalness - and fear.

A monster doesn't necessarily need big fangs, claws, and tentacles to be awe-inspiring. He can be dressed in an elegant suit and still inspire genuine terror. All that Slenderman is notable for outwardly is his elongated limbs and lack of face. Nobody knows how he kills his victims. None of the surviving eyewitnesses saw the monster move or attack. He simply silently looks towards the victim, standing at some distance from her. And then the unfortunate people disappear without a trace.

Slenderman's traits vary from story to story. This is not surprising, because it is inaccessible to the human eye. As follows from the game Slender: The Eight Pages, an attempt to examine the creature in detail ends in death for the curious. You must always have your back to the monster - and this is the worst thing. Wandering around in the dark, knowing that a mysterious something is “breathing” at your back, is still fun.

Silent Hill games and movies

Silent Hill 2 is a cult horror game, not least thanks to its original story concept. Everything that happens is a symbolic expression of the psychological conflict in the soul of the main character James, who killed his wife. Unconsciously, James understands that he has committed a crime and deserves punishment, and this feeling finds expression in the figure of Pyramid Head. That is why the monster has the formidable appearance of an infernal executioner: a giant pyramid without slits for eyes instead of a head and a huge blade.

Pyramid Head is a sense of guilt come to life. Hence the sexual aspect of his image. James had to suppress his sexuality for a long time due to his wife’s serious illness. Therefore, the hero several times catches Pyramid Head at the moments when he copulates with someone. So the monster wants to remind James that it was his hidden craving for pleasure that caused Mary’s death.

The monster turned out to be so bright that the creators used it in other parts of the series and in film adaptations. Unfortunately, at the same time, Pyramid Head ceased to be a symbol and turned into simply a mysterious monster - without history or origin. The motive for punishment gave way to mad, blind rage. But the monster did not become any less terrible. There is something inexpressibly terrible in this cast pyramid, something that lies beyond all psychological interpretations.

* * *

Thinkers of all times have argued that the most terrible monster is man. We ourselves invent monsters, but how can a creator put into a creation something that is not in it itself? Each monster is a mystery, and by solving it, we learn something new about ourselves. And often this knowledge is not as pleasant as we would like.

The 21st century has just begun and will probably give us dozens more charismatic, deceptively beautiful and insanely terrible creatures. The tops will change, and it is not so important who takes what place. The person himself will always be in the top position.

Did you know that scary creatures live at the bottom of the ocean? The truth is that we know more about our universe than we do about the oceans on our own planet. In fact, even to this day we are discovering new creatures hiding in the depths where sunlight does not even penetrate. Honestly, some of these deep sea creatures are pretty creepy. Here are the 25 Scariest Sea Monsters You Didn't Know About!

25. Tongue-eating crustacean

We'll start small. This terrible creature penetrates the fish through the gills, eats its tongue, and then attaches itself to the place where it used to be.

24. Chimera

Photo: wikimedia commons

The Ratfish or Ghost Fish, the Chimera is known as one of the oldest fish in existence today. They live very deep in the dark, so the appearance of this monster will definitely be reflected in your nightmares. Just look at that face!

23. Corrugated Shark

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

With a triple row of sharp teeth, this deep sea shark can wreak havoc on anything it catches. Plus, she just looks creepy.

22. Lobster "Terrible Claw"

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Discovered in 2007 off the coast of the Philippines, this lobster was aptly named. Look at those claws! This guy could cut you into pieces like a wheel of cheese.

21. Water bear

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

While most of the creatures on our list are quite large, these ones are quite tiny. Even... microscopic! What's strange about them is their durability. They can survive in almost any temperature and can live without water for over ten years!

20. Mola-Mola

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Also known as Pisces Sun or Pisces Moon, sounds good, right? But, think again, because she weighs over 900 kg! While the fish won't attack you (they eat jellyfish), it can be quite scary when you see the fish with the heaviest bones coming at you!

19. Giant squid

Photo: pixabay

These monsters can grow up to 18 meters in length. And their eyes are as big as beach balls! And yes, their eating habits are just as bad as you might imagine. They grab their prey with their tentacles and then stuff it into their beaks. The squid then crushes it with its tooth-covered tongue before the food enters the esophagus. It's very similar to a meat grinder.

18. Pelagic largemouth shark

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Discovered in 1976, this huge shark attracts plankton with the light that comes from its mouth. Don't swim into the light!

17. Galper eel

Photo: fishbase.org

Considering that these sea creatures live thousands of meters deep, little is known about them. But we know for sure that the huge jaws of a fish allow it to swallow prey as large as itself.

16. Goblin Shark

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Just one look at this shark will make most of us shiver. Moreover, the truly terrifying creatures' mouths seem to detach during the hunt in order to quickly capture their prey.

15. Grenadier

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

While the Grenadier is a bit odd looking, the creepiness factor isn't always proportionate to its looks. This deep-sea fish gives off a terrible odor due to the high levels of trimethylamine oxide it contains.

14. Pike blenny

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Although this fish is practically harmless to humans, when the blenny is in danger, it opens its huge mouth to scare away predators. Human or not, one look at this would make you want to get away as quickly as possible.

13. Giant isopod

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

Found at depths of almost 2,000 meters, these scavengers can grow up to 3 meters or more in length. Moreover, they existed even before dinosaurs. How? They know how to survive. These creatures can survive without food for four years. Even if they don't eat you, just imagine coming across such a creature in the deep sea. Basically, it's just a sea cockroach that's larger than a human. But we are afraid of cockroaches when they are only a few centimeters long...

12. Fanged fish

Photo: wikimedia commons

These bad guys live at a depth of 5,000 meters. Here the water pressure can crush a person. If you don't get crushed, get ready to be mashed by terrible teeth. In fact, this aptly named underwater monster boasts the largest teeth relative to its body size of any fish.

11. Snaggletooth fish

Photo: wikimedia commons

This creepy fish has hooked teeth that help it catch its prey. In addition, it lives at incredible depths where sunlight does not penetrate. So if you ever happen to see this terrifying creature, its glowing skin and terrifying teeth will likely leave you with terrible memories!

10. Black Dragon Fish

Photo: wikimedia commons

With razor-sharp teeth, this alien-like fish lives deep in the ocean and generates its own light.

9. Giant Spider Crab

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Sometimes we are simply intimidated by size. Descending to a depth of 300 meters, you will find the largest crab on Earth. It can reach 4 meters!

8. Pacific Snakefish

Photo: wikimedia commons

Living miles below the ocean's surface, these creatures boast teeth so large they can't even close their mouths.

7. Squid is a vampire

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Its name, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, literally translates to “vampire squid from hell.” Why? This underwater squid lives underwater where sunlight does not penetrate, and if you attack it, the squid will turn inside out, exposing dozens of spiny spines. What could be more terrible? Imagine if a person did this...

6. Drop fish

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Although this creature will not harm you, it may discourage you from going deep sea diving. The blobfish has even been called "the ugliest creature" and looking at this photo, it becomes clear why. She's so disgusting it's scary!

5. Melanocete Johnson (Humpback Monkfish)

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

This deep-sea monster lures its prey with a glowing stick that protrudes from its head.

4. Grimpoteuthys (Dumbo the Octopus)

Photo: wikimedia commons

While they may look quite cute, these guys are known for wrapping their prey in frilly-like "arms" before eating it.

3. Barrel Eye Fish (Ghost Fish)

Photo: wikimedia commons

This absolutely crazy-looking deep-sea creature has a transparent head, which allows the fish to look up with its barrel-shaped eyes. Imagine that while you are swimming in the depths of the ocean, a transparent head with two disgusting eyes inside approaches you. Although this fish will not eat you, its disgusting appearance is enough to make you regret this encounter.

2. Stargazer fish

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

They burrow into the ocean floor with their bulging ball eyes exposed. When an unfortunate fish swims up, they... eat it.

1. Black Crookshanks

Photo: wikimedia commons

Possibly the scariest creature on our list, this fish can swallow prey more than twice its size in size and 10 times its weight.

Sometimes it seems that nothing can scare a modern person anymore. We almost calmly watch even the most bloodthirsty horror films, read mystical novels, and computer games sometimes involve a variety of monsters of the world, both real and fictional. All this no longer surprises anyone. Even teenagers and small children treat all these creatures with slight irony and skepticism.

What will you answer to someone who claims that monsters and monstrosities are also found in our world today? Will you smile? Twist your finger at your temple? Will you start proving the opposite? Do not hurry. Why? The thing is that from time to time, unprecedented creatures still appear to people even now.

For example, after delving into your memory, you will probably remember that one of your loved ones, friends or just acquaintances once, under various circumstances, encountered a terrible monster or some inexplicable creature. Is it true?

What if this is not just a figment of an unhealthy imagination or the consequence of a sleepless night? What if mythological ancient Greek monsters actually existed and continue to live somewhere in our world? To tell the truth, such thoughts give even the bravest of us goosebumps and begin to listen to the surrounding rustles and sounds.

All this will be discussed in this article. However, in addition to the story about where monsters live, we will also touch on other, no less interesting, topics. For example, we will dwell in more detail on epics and beliefs, and also introduce readers to modern beliefs and hypotheses.

Section 1. Mythical monsters from fairy tales and legends

Every spiritual culture and religion has its own myths and parables, and, as a rule, they are composed not only about goodness and love, but also about terrible and disgusting creatures. Let's not be unfounded and give some of the most typical examples.

So in Jewish folklore there lives a certain dybbuk, the spirit of a dead sinful person, who can inhabit living people who have committed a serious offense and torment them. Only a very qualified rabbi can remove dybbuks from the body.

Islamic culture, in turn, offers jinn as a mythical evil creature - an evil winged people created from smoke and fire, living in a parallel reality and serving the devil. By the way, according to local religion, the devil was also once a genie under the name Iblis.

In the religion of Western countries, there are rakshasas, that is, terrible demons that inhabit the bodies of living people and manipulate them, thereby forcing the victim to do all sorts of abominations.

Agree, such mythical monsters inspire fear even if you just read their description, and you definitely wouldn’t want to meet them.

Section 2. What are people afraid of today?

Nowadays, people also believe in various otherworldly creatures. For example, in Malay (Indonesian) folklore there is a certain pontianak, a female vampire with long hair. What is this terrible creature doing? Attacks pregnant women and eats all their insides.

Russian monsters are also not far behind in their bloodthirstiness and unpredictability. Thus, among the Slavs, the evil spirit is represented in the form of a water spirit, the embodiment of the dangerous and negative principle of the element of water. Creeping up unnoticed, he drags his victim to the bottom, and then preserves the souls of people in special vessels.

Let's try to imagine something. In this case, it is impossible not to mention one of the countries of South America. Probably, many have already heard that in Brazilian folklore there is an encantado, a snake or river dolphin that turns into a person, loves sex and has an ear for music. He steals people's thoughts and desires, after which the person loses his mind and eventually dies.

Another one that belongs to the “Monsters of the World” category is the goblin. He has a human appearance - very tall, shaggy with strong arms and glowing eyes. Lives in the forest, usually dense and inaccessible. Goblin ride on trees, constantly fool around, and when they see a person they clap their hands and laugh. By the way, they attract women to them.

Section 3. Loch Ness Monster. Scotland

The lake of the same name, with a depth of 230 m, is the largest reservoir of water in the UK. It is believed that this reservoir, which, by the way, is the second largest in Scotland, was formed quite a long time ago, during the last ice age in Europe.

There are rumors that a mysterious beast lives in the lake, which was first mentioned in writing back in 565. However, since ancient times the Scots have mentioned water monsters in their folklore, calling them by the collective name “kelpies”.

The modern Loch Ness monster is called Nessie, and its history began almost 100 years ago. In 1933, one married couple, while vacationing nearby, saw something unusual with their own eyes, which they reported to the special service. However, despite the testimony of 3,000 witnesses who claim to have seen the monster, scientists are still unraveling the mystery.

Today, many local residents agree that the lake is home to a creature two meters wide and moving at a speed of 10 miles per hour. Modern eyewitnesses claim that Nessie looks like a giant snail with a very long neck.

Section 4. Monsters from the Valley of the Headless

The secret of the so-called one is that whoever goes to this area and no matter how armed he is, it is still worth saying goodbye to him in advance. Why? The thing is that no one has ever returned from there.

The phenomenon of people disappearing has still not been solved. Whether all the monsters of the world gather there or whether people disappear due to some other circumstances is not known for certain.

Sometimes only human heads were found at the scene, and the Indians living in that area claim that all this was done by the Bigfoot living in the valley. Eyewitnesses of the events claim that they saw a creature in the valley that looked like a giant shaggy man.

Perhaps the most fantastic version of the secret of the Valley of the Headless is that in this place there is an entrance to a certain parallel world.

Section 5. Who is Yeti and why is he dangerous?

In 1921, on Mount Everest, whose height is more than 6 km, a footprint left by a bare foot of enormous size was discovered in the snow. It was discovered by an expedition under the command of Colonel Howard-Bury, a very famous and respected mountaineer. The team then reported that the print belonged to Bigfoot.

Previously, the mountains of Tibet and the Himalayas were considered the habitats of the Yeti. Now scientists believe that Bigfoot people can also live in the Pamirs, Central Africa, in the lower reaches of the Ob, in some areas of Chukotka and Yakutia, and in the 70s of the 20th century, Yeti were also encountered in America, as evidenced by numerous documentary evidence.

How they can be dangerous for modern people remains a mystery to this day. There have been known cases of the theft of food and sports equipment, but the people themselves seem to be of little interest to these creatures, so there is no need to be afraid of them, let alone panicked.

Section 6. Monster of the seas. Sea serpent: myth or reality?

Many ancient myths and legends tell about the great sea serpent. At one time, both sailors and scientists believed in the existence of such a monster.

All opinions agreed on one thing: after all, there are at least two large species unknown to science. Scientists suggest that the role of the sea monster is a giant eel or an unknown species of cryptozoology.

In 1964, sea travelers crossing the Australian Stonehaven Bay on a yacht saw a huge black tadpole, about 25 m long, at a depth of two meters.

The monster had a huge snake head about 1.2 m wide and high, a thin flexible body with a diameter of approximately 60 cm and a length of 20 m, and a whip-like tail.

Section 7. Megalodon shark. Does it exist now?

In principle, according to several documents that have survived to this day, such a fish, which could easily be classified as a “Monster of the World,” existed in ancient times and resembled a great white shark.

Megalodon was supposedly about 25 meters long, and it is this size that makes it the largest predator that has ever existed on the planet.

There are many facts that prove the existence of megalodon in our time. For example, in 1918, when sea crayfish fishermen were working at great depths, they saw a giant shark 92 m long. Most likely, it was this particular fish.

Modern scientists are also in no hurry to deny this assumption. They argue that such animals could easily survive in the unexplored ocean depths to this day.

Section 8. Do you believe in ghosts?

Myths about spirits have existed since pagan times. The Christian faith also prevails in spirits, telling about the existence of special creatures, for example, angels who control the elements, and the so-called “unclean” ones, which include the goblin, the brownie, the merman, etc.

It just so happens that good and evil spirits constantly interact with humans. Christianity even distinguishes certain human companions: a good guardian angel and an evil tempter demon.

A ghost, in turn, is considered a vision, ghost, spirit, something invisible and intangible. These substances appear, as a rule, at night in sparsely populated places. There is no consensus on the nature of the appearance of ghosts, and the ghosts themselves are often radically different from each other.

Section 9. Giant cephalopods

From a scientific point of view, cephalopods are creatures without a backbone, whose body is formed like a bag. They have a small head with a clearly defined physiognomy and one leg, which is a tentacle with suction cups. Impressive appearance, right? By the way, not everyone knows that these creatures have a fairly developed and highly organized brain and live at sea depths from 300 to 3000 m.

Very often, all over the world, the bodies of dead cephalopods wash up on the shores of the oceans. The longest discarded cephalopod was more than 18 m long and weighed 1 ton.

Scientists who explored the depths saw these animals more than 30 m long. But in general it is believed that such monsters of the world can be more than 50 m long.

Section 10. Mysteries of bottomless lakes

In the Solnechnogorsk district of the Moscow region there is a lake called Bezdonnoe. Local residents constantly tell legends about the connection of the lake with the ocean and about the wreckage of sunken ships washed up on its sandy shores.

This reservoir is considered a real natural phenomenon; despite its small size, only 30 m in diameter, it has immeasurable depth.

In the same area there is another strange object - which was formed more than half a million years ago at the site of the fall of a large meteorite. The pond has a diameter of about 100 m, but no one knows the size of its depth. There are almost no fish in it, and no living creatures live on the banks. In summer, in the middle of the lake there is a large whirlpool, reminiscent of a large whirlpool on a river, and in winter, when it freezes, the whirlpool forms a bizarre pattern on the ice. Not long ago, local residents began to observe the following picture: on fine days, certain creatures began to crawl ashore to bask in the sun, according to the description, resembling either a huge snail or a lizard.

Section 11. Beliefs of Buryatia

Another lake of unknown depth is Sobolkho, in Buryatia. Both people and animals are constantly disappearing in the lake area. It is very interesting that the missing animals were later found in completely different lakes. Scientists suggest that the reservoir is connected to other underground channels; amateur divers in 1995 confirmed the existence of karst caves and tunnels in the lake, but local residents believe that it is unlikely to survive here without terrible monsters.

How often does a person wake up in a cold sweat because he is tormented by another nightmare? What will it be: a terrible monster or the elements, groundless fear or horror frozen on the fangs of a werewolf?

Some researchers seriously believe that mythology is a person’s attempt to explain certain anomalies in the world around him that plunge him into shock and awe.

Oddly enough, it is precisely such legends that give rise to the most terrible monsters, chilling the blood and forcing one to beg for salvation. Who are these creatures generated by the inflamed brain of Homo sapiens?

Koschei the Deathless

Koshchei can hardly be called a monster in the usual sense of the word.

To some extent, he is good-natured or simple, this can be decided based on folk tales and oral traditions.

However, he, as well as several other images in world mythology, can be considered the first ancestor of the living dead.

The monster walks, talks, rides a horse and even eats, despite the fact that an empty abdominal cavity is visible through the holes in his black cloak.

The most terrible monsters are created by human misunderstanding.

How can a living corpse exist? But, more importantly, how can it be destroyed?

Today it is a compilation of images, including the semi-legendary Fenrir, capable of swallowing the Moon and the Sun, who became the father of all wolves, and even the Italian Wolf, a real-life monster that terrorized the city of Gubbio.

What makes a person afraid of a werewolf? What prompts you to run without looking back from the howl of a wolf? Maybe the fear is that the beast will spread into the same person?

It is unknown which people gave rise to the legends about werewolves.

However, it is in the legends of the Scandinavians that these animals are given the most honorable place.

Wolves sit at the throne of Odin, Loki's son, Fenrir, is the harbinger of Ragnarok, and the god of warriors Thor considered it an honor to fight such a monster.

Today, the legends about these monsters have been significantly romanticized, films and literature have turned werewolves into courageous heroes, while real monsters are only interested in bloodlust.

One has only to imagine how such a monster overtakes an unlucky traveler at a late hour, and home comfort becomes a lifeline in a cruel world.

Yakumama ("Mother of Water")

Under the quiet rustle of the wind, the natives, passing an open bottle to each other, are in no hurry to start a conversation about Yakumama, the legendary snake.

The Queen Anaconda, “Mother of Water” and the ancestor of all snakes in South America, became a real monster in the mythology of local peoples.

The width of the head of such a leviathan is 1.8 meters, the body length reaches 50 m.

According to legend, crawling through the numerous “daughters” of the Amazon, Yakumama changes their course of flow, breaks trees and knocks down boats with explosive jets of water from its mouth.

Notably, the longest recorded length of an anaconda was 9 meters and weighed 130 kilograms. The monster was so strong that it took a long time to catch the snake.

What then is the power of such a creature as Yakumama?

What could be more attractive and more terrible than a woman?

The image of the mother coexists comfortably with the seductress and the murderer; this duality is especially clearly shown in Japanese mythology. In it, the most terrible monsters are not visible behind their human appearance.

Numerous creatures and akuma (evil spirits) hide their ugliness behind external beauty.

Kumo appears before the unlucky traveler in the form of a beautiful girl, and when the man comes closer, he entwines him with a web.

In front of the victim, the creature appears in its terrible guise of a huge spider.

Vampires could be included in this category, however, thanks to the same world of cinema, Count Dracula ceased to frighten and repel people, becoming a hero for teenage girls who desired eternal life.

Most often, this monster is depicted as an extremely unpleasant woman in appearance, crying or moaning, luring gullible passers-by to her.

It is widespread in the mythology of the Philippines, where it plays the role of the main antagonist. The creature is capable of growing wings, and its favorite dish is the heart of an unborn baby, sucked from the mother’s womb with a long proboscis that replaces the monster’s tongue.

Strigoi

An image that came to Romanian mythology from Ancient Dacia, formed according to one source in 82 BC.

No one knows exactly what, or who, Strigoi are. They are similar to vampires because they feed on blood, but if the same count is able to wipe the corner of his mouth with a silk scarf after a meal, then the strigoi hides his sharp fangs and is forced to mask the wide mark from the noose on his neck.

The fact is that only a hanged man can become a strigoi, although this feature does not appear in all legends.

Thanks to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the image of the kraken has become much more popular, although it originally belonged to Norse mythology.

The Normans believed that during a storm it was the thing that sank ships, dragging them to the bottom with huge tentacles.

This monster is truly huge and is even capable of pretending to be an island, luring an unlucky traveler on a ship closer.

The creature is capable of digesting food for up to 3 months, constantly attracting schools of fish that feed on the leftovers of the meal and the creature’s excrement.

As you can see, the most terrible monsters are by no means real animals, but human imagination, sometimes true, other times not. In that case, shouldn't humanity be afraid of itself?

Humanity is striving with all its might to understand the solar system, and then the entire Universe. It seems to people that somewhere there are the most important secrets and riddles that must be solved. But how much do we know about our own planet? She is still able to surprise not only ordinary people, but also famous scientists, presenting various surprises. After all, every now and then stories appear where monsters unknown to science appear, terrifying and trembling the entire population of the planet. It’s as if they penetrated our world from another reality. But is this really so? What is it like, the animal world of our planet? And is there room for various monsters in it?

The real monsters of the world - who are they?

Human civilization has populated the planet so densely that it has driven many representatives of the animal world to the most remote corners of the Earth. Some of them simply disappeared from the face of the planet, while others are threatened with extinction. Animal rights activists are trying their best to preserve rare animal species, but not a single official list includes monsters that humanity has been talking about for many centuries.

If you carefully study all the eyewitness accounts, you may get the impression that animal monsters have always existed. They were seen by people of different professions and social status, and each such meeting was accompanied by fear of contact with something unknown. Only at the end of the nineteenth century did scientists begin to take evidence of encounters with monsters seriously and even tried to photograph and video these extraordinary creatures. Every documented evidence of the existence of monsters issued to society was carefully studied, but most often classified as falsification. Until now, the scientific world has not been able to obtain real confirmation of the fact that we do not know everything about the creatures living on the planet. But this does not at all bother adventure lovers who are ready to spend a lot of time on expeditions in order to take one successful photo and give the world the truth.

Monster Classification

The most famous monsters in the world have long had their own classification. Seekers of the unknown divided them into the following three categories:

• underwater;
• ground;
• anthropoid.

Of course, these categories are very conditional, but they still give some idea of ​​what the most terrible monsters in the world look like and where they live. We collected information about those monsters that were noticed by people and repeatedly invaded their normal lives. It’s worth starting with underwater creatures, which are considered the most common.

Over the last century, there have been enough references to various lizards that live in lakes. Characteristic is the fact that they are found only in freshwater bodies of water. But experts say that lizards will feel great in sea water.

Mentions of underwater lizards are found among different nations. The Scots, Yakuts, Canadians, Kazakhs and Chinese have similar evidence. This suggests that the legend about monsters living in lakes has a basis in reality.

Scientists, having analyzed sketches of monsters and video footage provided by eyewitnesses, came to the conclusion that they can be classified as the last dinosaurs on Earth. They resemble ancient plesiosaurs, which lived in large numbers in the water bodies of our planet. These creatures had a long, elongated body with small limbs in the form of flippers and a small head. The length of the neck of such lizards was similar to the body of the monster.

This structure of the monster explains why many eyewitnesses called it a snake. After all, the body and head of a monster usually appear on the surface, truly resembling a huge snake.

Loch Ness Monster

If you are interested in the most famous monsters, then you have probably heard about the Scottish lake Loch Ness. The monster that lives in its waters is known throughout the world. The lake itself is quite picturesque; it is more than two hundred meters deep and is the largest in the UK.

The Loch Ness monster was discovered at the beginning of the last century. Then it alarmed the company resting on the shore by leaning out of the water. From that moment on, crowds of adventurers flocked to the lake, dreaming of capturing the mysterious monster.

Four years later, Wilson managed to photograph the monster, and these photographs alarmed the public. They were published in all newspapers and magazines, and the scientific community tried to explain the presence of a strange creature in the waters of the lake. Almost thirty years later, the Loch Ness monster was caught on camera, where it was clear how fast it moved under water.

A little later, another video of the monster hit all the major television channels in Britain, and people again rushed to Scotland in search of a sensation. Over the past hundred years, more than four thousand people have claimed to have seen the Nessie monster (as the Scots affectionately called him) with their own eyes.

Scientists believe that the monster is completely harmless and lives in a pond with its large family. According to the official version, it fell into the lake as a result of the movement of tectonic plates and was unable to escape from the trap. During their existence, many generations of monsters have adapted to the changed habitat and food.

Lake Champlain - Nessie's brother

In Canada there is the famous Lake Champlain, which has joined the list of places where famous monsters of the world live. At the end of the nineteenth century, information appeared that the sheriff saw a fifty-meter snake with humps on its back in the waters of the lake. This evidence only confirmed the numerous words of eyewitnesses, which had accumulated in large quantities since the beginning of the seventeenth century.

The monster was named Champ; it appeared annually on the surface of the reservoir, allowing people to record new details about themselves. Thanks to this, it turned out that the monster has dark skin, a very large body and an elongated head with bumps and growths.

Scientists could not ignore such a large amount of information about the monster, and in the seventies of the last century an initiative group was formed to study Champa. Seven years later, one of the local residents managed to photograph the monster, and the authenticity of the photo was proven in the laboratories of the Smithson Institute. Thanks to the availability of special technologies, scientists suggested the size of the animal, which seemed simply incredible - from five to seventeen meters.

Twelve years ago, a fisherman managed to film the monster, and FBI analysts proved the authenticity of the recording. Now scientists from all over the world are trying to figure out which class of the animal world Champa can be classified as.

Ogopogo - the most famous "resident" of Canada

Scientists believe that if anywhere underwater monsters can live, it is in Canada. Numerous lakes in this country were once formed as a result of the movement of tectonic plates, and it is quite possible that some ancient monsters could remain in these reservoirs. The most famous Canadian pangolin is the Ogopogo from Okanagan Lake.

This monster, according to eyewitnesses, resembles Nessie and Champa - the same long body with fins and a small head. The Indians said that one day a monster capsized the boat of their leader and destroyed him. From this time on, the tribes tried to negotiate with Ogopogo, sacrificing animals to him and refusing to fish in some parts of the lake.

It is worth noting that this monster was seen quite often. There are especially numerous eyewitness accounts who crossed the lake by ferry at the beginning of the twentieth century. During this period, the monster constantly rose to the surface, and more than two hundred people spoke about it. At the end of the last century, video footage appeared in which a monster is clearly visible swimming underwater. Until now, information periodically comes from the shores of the lake about the next appearance of the monster, but science cannot provide a rationale for its existence.

Lake monsters: how many are there?

Today the scientific world knows about seven lakes located in different parts of the planet, where various monsters live. Three lakes belong to Ireland, where locals quite often see underwater monsters. For example, in Lough Ree a large animal of an unknown species was seen even by three priests in the middle of the last century. Scientists took their evidence seriously and at the beginning of the 2000s assembled a real expedition to the shores of the ancient reservoir. But, unfortunately, they were never able to capture the monster.

In our country, Lake Labynkyr in Yakutia became the monster’s home. There have always been legends among local residents about an extraordinary creature that lives in the depths of the lake and on the rarest occasions looks out to the surface. In the nineteenth century, eyewitnesses called it the Labynkyr Devil, but no one has yet managed to photograph the creature.

The long-horned sabertooth is the most terrifying monster of the deep sea

In addition to monsters unknown to science, there are also those that have long been studied. For example, in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean there lives a saber-tooth fish, the appearance of which can cause horror in any inhabitant of the planet.

Usually this monster does not grow more than forty centimeters in length, but has a dark color and a very menacing appearance. The fact is that huge fangs grow in the fish’s mouth, which do not even allow an adult to completely close its jaws. Scientists have found that the brain of this fish has two pockets that accommodate the tips of its fangs. This predator lives at a depth of more than five hundred meters; it has also been encountered at greater depths - it feels quite comfortable having descended to five thousand meters.

It is worth noting that this predator is very vulnerable to large fish. They eat it with pleasure, so the saber tooth prefers to hide in the water column and hunt only small fish.

Bigfoot - fact or fiction?

The Yeti (as Bigfoot is also called) is a humanoid creature covered with fur that lives in the mountainous regions of the planet. The yeti is especially common in North America. The local Indian tribes know a lot of legends about creatures of unprecedented power who lived high in the mountains and sought to avoid human eyes.

Eyewitnesses claim that they even saw entire families of Bigfoot people, which allows us to draw conclusions about the abundance of this species. But, unfortunately, science has not yet received documentary evidence of the existence of these monsters.

In the middle of the last century, a short film was shot in which an unusual creature moving through the forest was caught on camera. Experts carefully studied the film and remained in deep doubt about its authenticity. To date, no one has been able to photograph the Yeti or find its remains.

Vampire monster living in South America

Puerto Ricans scare naughty children with stories about the Chupacabra. It is believed that this monster lives near human settlements and destroys livestock. The chupacabra usually steals goats and drinks all their blood, which forms the basis of its daily diet. Sometimes the monster completely tears its victim apart, but does not eat it. Local residents claim that the chupacabra feeds on the blood of rabbits, chickens, and can even steal a child.

It has not yet been possible to photograph the Chupacabra on a camera or video camera, but eyewitnesses describe it as a large creature with large claws and fangs. Absolutely everyone notes the monster’s huge and glowing eyes, with which he sees perfectly in the dark.

Residents of South America believe that this monster was the result of secret experiments by the American military. But the United States is in no hurry to confirm or deny this fact.

Monster sculptures

The world's most famous monsters can also be objects of art. Many European cities have various sculptural groups depicting devils and monsters. Some of them are historical monuments.

All the inhabitants of the planet know the monsters on the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. These terrifying chimeras sit on the façade of the building and are winged creatures with bared snouts and fangs. Parisians consider these monsters one of the most striking symbols of the city. According to some polls, they are more popular than the Eiffel Tower.

In Norway, in the city of Torheim, a cathedral was built, which with its sculptures resembles its Parisian “brother”. Its facade is covered with images of various evil spirits, which (according to legend) were supposed to scare away real evil spirits. Tourists say that many of the figures on the cathedral look extremely ominous.

In Brest, on Gogol Street, there is a sculpture of the devil. This unclean spirit is made extremely realistically and is a symbol of the city, attracting crowds of tourists here.

Humanity has always lived side by side with various monsters. Some of them are dangerous to people, while others have not done anything bad to them, but still strike terror into the hearts with their very appearance. Scientists are trying to catch monsters in order to finally obtain proof of their existence and study them as a new species of representatives of the animal world. However, the monsters are in no hurry to become a world sensation; they continue to lead their solitary lifestyle, established over millennia.